Mumbai: State inks deal with NGO to push vax in Gadchiroli

Mumbai: The state has signed an memorandum of understanding with NGO Project Mumbai to push vaccination against Covid-19 in Gadchiroli. The district with a significant tribal population has the second lowest vaccine coverage in the state.
As of Wednesday, only 3.4 lakh doses were administered in the district which has an estimated 12 lakh population.Of these, merely 62,943 people have been fully vaccinated. The district with the lowest vaccination in Maharashtra is Hingoli where less than 3 lakh doses have been administered.
Public health minister Rajesh Tope said vaccination response in Gadchiroli has been marred by myths and misconceptions. The MoU was signed between Gadchiroli district collector and Project Mumbai on Thursday. “We will be empowering citizens and communities, training grassroots healthcare workers and ensuring vaccination for all to be better prepared for the third wave,” said Shishir Joshi, CEO and founder of Project Mumbai. He added that it was the first public-private partnership to boost inoculation.
The NGO will also initiate another project Arogya-Swaraj with Dr Abhay Bang’s organisation SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) to augment health infrastructure, including providing ventilators and oxygen support systems. They will also train ASHA workers and communities to reduce mortality and morbidity caused by Covid-19. tnn